Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker (1991 Video) User Reviews

Silent Night, Deadly Night 5 The Toy Maker: A pleasant surprise

[Platypuschow · 6/10 · 10 June 2018]

The Silent Night, Deadly Night franchise is a weird one, the first was about a man who went on a killing spree in a santa suit, the second was about the same mans brother doing the same, the third picked up where the second left off and then suddenly they dropped that whole storyline with part 4 and told a dodgy story about witches.

Well here in part 5 it's another Christmas themed movie with absolutely no connection to the original plot.

It tells the story of a boy traumatised after watching a Christmas toy kill his father. It turns out that someone is creating killer toys, parcelling them up in gift wrapping and sending them to people for Christmas.

Though the movies sfx both practical and cgi aren't great they are saved by some originality. Truth be told I quite liked it despite its glaring flaws.

Starring Mickey Rooney and with a cameo appearance by Silent Night, Deadly Night 4 (1990) star Clint Howard this is an interesting (If a little goofy) horror movie.

The funny thing is that Rooney infamously slammed the creators of the first movie back in 1984. He deemed it disgusting that they'd make a horror movie set during Christmas and publically kicked up a stink about it, then several years later here he is starring in one!

I think this is the best of the Silent Night, Deadly Night franchise but treat it entirely as a stand alone film as that's exactly what it is.

The Good:

Mickey Rooney

Quite original

Well constructed

Great twist

The Bad:

Eyebrow raising finale

Lot of 90's cliches

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Having the same actor play a different character by the same name in the same franchise is logical, right?

No Santa Clause Killer, but an enjoyably oddball slasher film version of Pinocchio and Geppetto instead

[a_chinn · 5/10 · 10 November 2018]

Not as well done as Monte Hellman's surprisingly good entry in this rather weak horror franchise, but this fifth installment of Silent Night, Deadly Night is likely the second best in the series. Mickey Rooney plays elderly toy maker Joe Petto (get it, Geppetto) who lives with his oddball grown son Pino (you know, Pinocchio) who designs toys intended to kill their owners (which would be children). But the main characters are actually a mother and son who fall into the orbit of Joe and Pino's toy shop following the mysterious death of the boy's father at the hands of a killer toy left on their doorstep. There's a lot of twisted humor throughout the film, which you might expect from producer/co-writer Bryan Yuzna ("Society" "Re-Animator" "The Dentist"). One standout example is a hilariously repulsive scene where a couple in bed don't realize a sentient toy hand has joined late night trysts, making it an unwitting threesome. And without spoiling anything, the film's climax is particularly unexpected and entertaining. Top that off with a supporting role for Clint Howard and you've got a solid fifth sequel for a rather lame horror franchise. However, there's a lot of dullness in-between the interesting bits, but overall it's still worth watching for horror fans. FUN FACT! Mickey Rooney spoke out in protest against the first "Silent Night, Deadly Night" film in 1984, saying the "scum" who made it should be "run out of town" for having sullied the sacredness of Christmas. FUN FACT #2! The building used for external shots of Sarah's workplace is the headquarters of the now defunct Live Home Video, the company that released the movie on VHS!

"How do you switch this thing off?"

[lost-in-limbo · 6/10 · 5 July 2010]

They were really cracking out these independent low-budget films straight to video, but just like the last entry "Initiation" the filth instalment "The Toy Maker" (which had Brain Yunza involved again, but this time only producing) took on a different spin (while still being hysterically deranged) and would probably go down as my favourite of the four sequels. This enterprise actually had some similar shades to "Halloween III; Season of the Witch" and at times it strangely had me thinking of "Child's Play 2" namely that of its opening credits, nonetheless the gimmicky story is surprisingly inspired if ridiculously convoluted and mean-spirited. It's a jolly odd one, as the delightful Neith Hunter returns with her headstrong character Kim in nothing more than a minor role and also it has actor Mickey Rooney (who was heavily opposed to the original when it got a whirlwind of scathing attention) finding himself apart of the notorious franchise. It's funny how things do work out, but he's ideally great in the part. The rest of the performances are fairly delivered by Jane Higginson, William Thorne, Van Quattro and Brian Bremer is downright creepy as Pino. Clint Howard shows up again in a tiny, if thankless part. Cult make-up / special FX maestro Screaming Mad George provides the ample special effects and again he does a tremendous job crafting out the details, where he storms up some nasty pieces of work when the toys go berserk. Director / writer Martin Kitrosser (who would be best known by horror fans for penning "Friday the 13th Part 3, 4 and 5") piles on the outrageous jolts and unforeseeable story twists, but it can fall a bit on the stodgy side even with its polished look.

Surprisingly good unrelated 'sequel'.

[willywants · 22 April 2004]

A young boy sees his father killed by a toy that was anonymously delivered to his house. After that, he is too traumatized to speak, and his mother must deal with both him and the loss of her husband. Meanwhile, a toy maker named Joe Peto builds some suspicious-looking toys, and a mysterious man creeps around both the toy store and the boy's house...but who is responsible for the killer toys? despite being a part five in a weak (With the exception of part four and this one) and dead end series, SNDN5 is a very good horror film that is lifted by a interesting premise and innovative special effects. the acting isn't too bad but rather unimaginative and the script is flat. Other than that, this film is almost perfect. After all, Brian Yuzna produced it. You know it's going to be a winner!!!!!!! 7/10.

Attack of the killer toys

[leathaface · 3/10 · 1 July 2006]

This movie wasn't that bad when compared to the first two sequels to the original. It's directed by Martin Kitrosser of Friday the 13th fame. The acting is very bad indeed, but the gore and special effects help make it interesting. Thats one thing I like about Screaming Mad George (make up effects artist for the film), his effects are so off-the-wall and bizarre that they will keep you watching a bad movie just to find out how crazy they're gonna get. The movie isn't really all that gory, but there is an EXTREMELY nasty eyeball-munching scene in the middle involving a toy maggot (what!?!) Mickey Rooney makes a guest appearance that he probably wasn't too enthusiastic about but needed the money at the time, possibly? If you liked the weirdo 4th installment (my favorite of all 5), you'll probably like this one. I liked it better than the Matrix! Enjoy.

Silent Night Deadly Night 5-The Toy Maker

[Scarecrow-88 · 4/10 · 14 June 2009]

Warped take on the Pinocchio theme, and set during the Christmas season(..after the previous entry abandoned ties to Christmas) has booby-trapped toys sent to murder a child(..yet through this, other victims are accidentally harmed in the process)perhaps by a toy maker's "son". Screaming Mad George was responsible for the killer toys(..including a larvae which enters a victim's mouth and out his eye, another where soldier toys actually shoot real bullets at a babysitter after her boyfriend was practically strangled by a severed hand toy, operating from a remote control). The little target is a mute child named Derek(William Thorne)whose stepdad was murdered by a red ball with extending arms that ensnare his face, causing him to land on a fireplace poker. Mother Sarah(Jane Higginson)worries about her son's mental state, figuring his reluctance towards opening presents or, more importantly, talking, derives from watching her husband's horrific murder. Derek's real father, Noah(Tracy Fraim)fears for his son't safety, and informs, reluctantly, his ex-girlfriend Sarah that the local toymaker, Joe Petto(Mickey Rooney)once was arrested for setting traps in toys to harm kids due to the loss of an unborn child when his wife was killed in a car crash..kind of a retaliation in saying that if he couldn't have a son, then others shouldn't either. Still quite a heavy drinker(..often seen swigging Jack), Petto seems to have set aside his feelings towards kids, but his creepy son Pino(Brian Bremer)hasn't and Derek he harbors angst towards. Why? You'll soon understand.

Pretty disappointing special effects and rather goofy premise. Rooney's name adds an allure to the film, gaining it a notoriety, but his histrionics can only help so much. Attractive lead actress Higginson(Slaughterhouse)and Fraim as the man who re-enters her life aren't so bad, but the lame plot that develops is hard to take seriously. I'm guessing that's the point, but Rooney has no reason to be in such a film as this..he has no room to bring any personality to his toymaker other than rage and desperation, quite volatile, barely holding himself together as he explodes in anger towards Pino, when not downing liquor. Bremer is appropriately weird and "robotic" as Pino, longing to have Sarah as his mama. The practical effects used during the attacks on victims are rather unconvincing..Screaming Mad George's work with Savage Steve Holland was far more effective than what we see in this film. The sex everyone talks about isn't as gratuitous as many would have you believe(..I can't even recall any nudity). Probably the best of the numerous sequels greenlighted, but that's not exactly an endorsement. I'm pretty sure written on paper, this was an entertaining concept, the idea of spoofing Pinocchio using horror elements, but the result doesn't exactly blow you away.

None of these toys should be on your Christmas list, and neither should this movie

[happyendingrocks · 3/10 · 21 December 2011]

The original notorious holiday slasher Silent Night, Deadly Night was audacious and thoughtful enough to merit its eventual status as a twisted classic of sorts, but the follow-up installments in this shockingly lengthy franchise have either been awe-inspiring in their awfulness or had nothing to do with the original film. This fifth (and, let's hope, final) outing straddles the line of both of those categories, and indeed the only resemblance The Toymaker bears to the first SN, DN is that the alleged horror takes place at Christmas time.

Even keeping in mind the diminished expectations anyone familiar with the entire franchise is bound to have going in to this installment, this is a uniformly stupid movie, and thanks to the tedious pace and relentlessly silly effects, this clunker practically dares the viewer to make it to the end, and provides very little pay-off for the brave souls who do.

Billy, the axe-wielding Santa who launched the series, is a distant memory here, and the action is instead centered around the malevolent titular Toymaker, who specializes in crafting homicidal toys. That gimmick is relied upon to carry this entire film, which would be fine if the deeds of the murderous playthings were well-orchestrated. But right from the first attack, during which a lethal Santa ball wraps its tentacle-like arms around the neck of an unsuspecting dad, the cheesy nature of Screaming Mad George's bargain basement FX elicit more laughs than scares, and when the victim ultimately meets his demise because he knocks over a conveniently placed fireplace poker and impales his own skull onto it, we aren't given any real indication that the deadly toys are actually effective in their intended tasks.

Things continually get worse from there, and by the time a young boy is put into the hospital because of an accident caused by rocket-charged roller blades, it's well assured that the killer toy concept at play here is going to fall well short of the comparatively engaging material explored in the Puppet Master series.

The plot, such as it is, centers around the wife and son of the previously mentioned impalee as they struggle to deal with dad's tragic demise. However, when a boyfriend from mom's past shows up unexpectedly, and her reaction to his re-appearance is having groping, unbridled sex with him in the conveniently deserted parking garage of her office building (a mere couple of weeks after her husband's been put in the ground, mind you), we sort of lose track of her as the grieving widow we're set up to root for.

The Toymaker also apparently has a son, and the one twist the film attempts to throw into the works is pretty much telegraphed the moment these two appear on screen together. Of course, this happens about five minutes into the movie, which probably isn't the optimal time to squander the one surprise in store for the audience. I'm sure the film-makers thought they were being clever by naming these characters Petto and Pino, but their monikers only serve to make the true nature of their relationship even more patently obvious, so the "shocking" climactic reveal of the "hidden" truth lands with the same resounding thud the rest of the film does.

If any part of the movie sticks with you after the credits roll, it's bound to be the onslaught of a toy army that targets an amorous babysitter and her tighty-whitey-wearing horndog boyfriend while the two are canoodling. A vague attempt is made here to insert some humor into the proceedings, and the prodding fingers of a plastic animatronic arm elicit a few polite chuckles, but since this is a movie that has already provided its fair share of unintentional laughs at this point, it's ultimately a bad call to pile on more comedy when at least a modicum of the gore and horror implied by this film's inclusion in the SN, DN franchise would have been a more welcome presence. Thankfully, the one decent splatter effect in The Toymaker arrives soon after, and since it's really the only piece of actual brutality in the film, it does have an admittedly potent impact.

The climax, if you can stomach this movie long enough to make it there, features an anatomically barren cyborg dry-humping our main heroine while squealing, "Mommy, I love you!" So, whatever else I say about Silent Night, Deadly Night 5, at least it has that going for it. Whether or not you feel that indelible image is worth 85 minutes of your life is pretty much your call.

Decent entry, if not overly spectacular

[kannibalcorpsegrinder · 5/10 · 22 December 2014]

Trying to help her traumatized son at Christmas, a woman finds that the repeated attempts of a local toy-shop worker to win him over are based on more serious accusations and must try to stop their dangerous plan for the neighborhood children.

On the whole, this was a decidedly decent enough effort that really does have some good parts to it. One of its better elements is the extremely enjoyable nature it takes toward the sleazy aspect of its storyline, where the idea of a group of innocent neighborhood children receiving malfunctioning toys that will end up killing them in the future makes for a rather chilling premise that gets exploited quite nicely along the way. From the scenes of the children taking the toys and playing to the later scenes of them running amuck as they start to experience all sorts of extremely grisly ends, which are nicely laid out in the second half, this one really gets some rather fun and cheesy action to go along with the rather entertaining for their fun and goofy time. Also part of this charm is the finale which manages to include plenty of rather fun, cheesy action here with the rampaging doll carrying the action in the toy-shop along with a cheesy gusto that's plenty of fun to see through. However, this is about all that works here since there's a lot of problematic elements throughout here, the most notable being the overuse of the killer doll concept that had long run out of steam. The idea of warping it into a killer-Santa story is decent enough but it never goes far enough with this premise since the majority of the time is spent on really unconvincing special effects for the killer dolls and toys that are hardly lifelike and realistic which undercuts their effectiveness considerably. Likewise, the revolving door cast as the villains of the piece don't give this one the case of mystery as to who's behind it all and why that was most likely the target it was aiming for as here it simply reeks of inability to really commit to a storyline that jumps from one random image to another without really settling on a given topic which causes this one to slip a lot as these are pretty hard-fought flaws here. Still, it's good enough that this is still somewhat watchable.

Rated R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language, Nudity, a sex scene and children-in-jeopardy.

Gotta pay the bills somehow

[utgard14 · 4/10 · 19 December 2014]

The Silent Night, Deadly Night series thankfully came to an end with this last effort. The first three movies in the series were all about killer Santas. Then part 4 went all "season of the witch" on things and tried to point the series in a different direction. It wasn't very successful but this one continues with that thinking, having the story about something other than a killer in a Santa Claus suit. This one basically decides that since the series started with the idea of spitting on a positive and wholesome traditional icon, this would do something similar by spitting on Pinocchio. Neith Hunter and Clint Howard reprise their roles from part 4. Hunter's supporting role adds little and Howard's cameo is pointless. It's really sad that Mickey Rooney had to do this but he had bills to pay. He easily outshines everybody else in this, even though he's slumming. The rest of the cast is entirely unmemorable. If you liked the earlier movies in this series, particularly part 4, you're obviously coming from a different place than me so you'll probably enjoy this more than I did. The same holds true if you're a fan of the made-for-video horror dreck that littered the video store shelves back in the day. Growing up my brother used to rent trash like this religiously. While I certainly have a lot of bad movies that I enjoy, this isn't one of them. It's all very blah to me, particularly with the cheap look of it. There were two or three somewhat funny scenes but not enough to save the movie as a whole. I did like seeing the Rambo cartoon though. Points for reminding me that was a thing.

Just keep repeating: it's only a toy. Only a toy...only a toy...

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 10 December 2011]

The people behind these sequels certainly came up with some insane ideas once they moved away from the whole "killer Santa" routine. This last entry is co-written by director Martin Kitrosser and producer Brian Yuzna. If you recognize Kitrosser's name, that's because he'd co-written the third "Friday the 13th" movie several years previous, but has kept busy in the film business as a script supervisor, and is in fact Quentin Tarantino's script supervisor of choice. His movie is an amusing combination of the genuinely creepy and the genuinely kinky. Toys designed for a deadly purpose have been sent out for years, and killed the father of a traumatized and mute boy, Derek (William Thorne). His concerned mother Sarah (Jane Higginson) comes to suspect either drunken, seemingly kindly toy store proprietor Joe Petto (screen legend Mickey Rooney) or his weirdo son Pino (Brian Bremer, whom you may recognize from "Pumpkinhead", Yuzna's "Society", and / or "Spontaneous Combustion"). Meanwhile, a young man, Noah (Tracy Fraim) is awfully intent on making contact with Derek and Sarah, and what could be his reason? The best of these sequels since Part 2, in this reviewer's humble opinion, it benefits from being so utterly twisted. In fact, right towards the end it features what has to be one of the most disturbing attempted rape sequences committed to celluloid. The special effects are often of the cheesy and tacky variety, yet are reasonably entertaining for this reason. Kitrosser's focus on sex is pretty blatant: at one point he keeps cutting between two separate sex scenes. None too subtle references to a classic children's story are indicative of his whole approach to his movie. The acting is mostly competent enough, with the appropriately cast Bremer coming off the best. Rooney acts his little heart out, as could be expected; regarding his presence here when his was one of the voices demonizing the original movie, it just goes to show what an actor is willing to do when they're desperate enough for a gig. Neith Hunter and Conan Yuzna reprise their roles of Kim and Lonnie from the previous sequel; ubiquitous Clint Howard once again shows up, and plays a character named Ricky, but is only around for one scene. One thing this movie is not is boring, and if your tastes are anything like mine, you're sure to derive some entertainment out of this demented piece of work. Seven out of 10.

Possibly the biggest load of drivel ever made

[CQKRIS · 1/10 · 1 April 2002]

Bad actors, terrible script, totally unbelievable ending - this film had it all. After seeing films like this, you wonder why the makers bothered at all. This film has absolutely nothing to say, all the methods used to create a scare have been used over and over again in previous horror films. A total waste of time.

An offbeat and unusual horror oddity

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 15 December 2009]

Jolly, but evil old toymaker Joe Petto (a wonderfully spry performance by the legendary Mickey Rooney) and his weird, surly teenager son Pino (a genuinely creepy portrayal by Brian Bremer) create deadly toys which are designed to kill people. Director Martin Kitrosser, who also co-wrote the bizarre and imaginative script with Brian Yuzna, treats the deliciously loopy premise with admirable seriousness while still adding nice touches of wickedly amusing dark humor (the scenes with the toys attacking people are a riot, with a sequence involving a pair of lethal rollerblades rating as a definite gut-busting highlight) and pulling out all the wacky stops for a gloriously freaky and demented over-the-top surprise conclusion. Moreover, the murder set pieces are staged with real flair and there's a decent amount of splatter. The competent acting by the solid cast qualifies as another substantial asset, with especially praiseworthy work by William Thorne as traumatized mute boy Derek, Jane Higginson as Derek's sweet, loving mother Sarah Quinn, Tracy Fraim as Derek's estranged absentee father Noah Adams, and Neith Hunter as Sarah's spunky best friend Kim. The yuletide setting and Yuzna's characteristic kinky sexual streak (towards the end of the picture we get one of the single most nutty and perverse attempted rapes ever committed to celluloid) give this picture an extra warped kick. James Mathers' polished cinematography boasts a few smooth gliding tracking shots and some strenuous slow motion. Matthew Morse's shivery score hits the spine-tingling spot. Kudos are also in order for Screaming Mad George's funky and creative special effects. Well worth a look for those seeking something different and original.

WHAT THE ****?!?!

[michaelgarykelley1994 · 7/10 · 16 December 2019]

Bruh! I can't believe I'm saying this, but this might very well be my favorite of the original Silent Night, Deadly Night series! The remake remains my favorite, easily, but this was one fine horror flick. Kind of a twist on Pinocchio. Absolutely fun.

The ending messed me up so bad-I don't even have the words to explain it. Absolutely nuts.

Killer toys - how did Charles Band not produce this???

[udar55 · 5/10 · 29 November 2009]

Young Derek Quinn (William Thorne) sees his father killed by a killer toy that someone left on their doorstep. Two weeks later, his mom has completely recovered from her husband's death but Derek is taking it hard, refusing to speak. She thinks the best way to cheer him up is take him to a toy store run by Joe Petto (Mickey Rooney) and his son Pino (Brian Bremer). But Mr. Petto has some evil up his sleeve as he just might be the one responsible for making these deadly toys. Also, some handsome stranger (Tracy Fraim, yes, he's a dude with that name) is poking around the Quinn household.

Producer Brian (RE-ANIMATOR) Yuzna directed the fourth entry in this series and produced here. Both sequels tried to keep the Xmas horror theme but move away from the killer Santa angle. With the killer toy angle here, this is the HALLOWEEN III of the SNDN series and you would suspect to see Charles Band's name somewhere in the credits. Alas, he wasn't involved but I'm sure he enjoyed this though. Of course, how can you not enjoy a movie that features Mickey Rooney drunk on Jack Daniels and smashing the bottle over his son's head? There are some great FX in here from Screaming Mad George with the killer toys being Larry the Larva, a car with saw blades, a strangling Santa ball and the required Army men who fire real bullets. What no killer teddy bear? Charles Band shakes his head in shame. The acting is fine by everyone and the little kid actually gives one of the better child performances I've seen (maybe because he has no dialog?). Yuzna gets extra points for having a guy in line with his son to see Santa wearing a RE-ANIMATOR shirt and a girl on Santa's lap asking for clothes, make-up, sunglasses and a tape of BRIDE OF RE-ANIMATOR. Clint Howard has a small role as a shopping mall Santa.

Surprising good for a fifth sequel!

[D'Amico · 15 August 1998]

Although this movie is soon established as having a supernatural bent (as well as a Pinocchio complex), it follows the pattern of excellence that was set by the original "Silent Night, Deadly Night". Each movie is gorier than the last, yet still manages to come up with interesting and unique ways to kill the victims. (Warning though -- do NOT watch this movie while eating, as it has probably the most disgusting death scene I've ever viewed.) This movie is rich with a vibrant, talented cast, including Jane Higginson (as Sarah Quinn), Brian Bremer (as Pino), Tracy Fraim (as Noah), William Thorne (as the child Derek), and the incomparable Mickey Rooney (as Joe Petto ).

There's a host of strange and creepy characters in this movie, from the toy maker Joe Petto, who has the eerie ability to bring things back to life, to his "son" Pino(cchio) Petto, who is just plain weird and creepy in addition to the fact that he hasn't aged in over twenty years, to the mysterious Noah, who shows up in the town, doing his best to buy out Petto's toy shop, and having a strange obsession with your Derek Quinn. Just when you think you've figured out who the "bad guy" is, the movie throws you a curve ball, and you're left to wonder who really is the "evil toymaker".

Altogether, this was an excellent film, having all the aspects of a wild horror ride. You'd think the story of satanic Santas and Christmases best left forgotten, but this movie proves that follow-ups can be just as thrilling as the original movie, even following the same pattern -- no one really lives long enough for you to get attached to them, and as the movie goes on, you feel more and more pity for the character you're beginning to suspect. And make sure you watch closely -- this movie has some interesting cameos that are too good to miss.

But so as not to give the wrong impression, yes, there are parts of this movie that could be better left unseen. There's a long, drawn-out sex scene with absolutely no point, and another sex scene (which ends in a fascinating new way) which could have been drastically reduced. But for the child in all of us, that still believes our toys come alive at night, this movie is a horrifying adventure into a child's worst nightmare. If you like this movie, you'll love the horror flick "Dolls", where the toys are much more than living toys -- they're people trapped inside of toys.

Another "why bother?" unrelated video sequel

[Zbigniew_Krycsiwiki · 1/10 · 12 November 2003]

This time we get a psycho toy maker named "Joe Petto" (seriously?) who makes living, evil toys that kill people. He goes after the family who has the bad luck of just simply living in the same house where he and his anatomically incorrect, robot son "Pino" used to live. Late in the film, Petto dies, and Pino even assumes his identity, in perhaps the most baffling twist in this twisted movie.

Derivative entry in this semi-series, this one has a bizarre, pedophilic bent (Maybe that is why the character's name is Petto(phile?) which makes it difficult to watch.

It's kind of like a low rent hybrid of "Halloween III", "Puppet Master", and "Demonic Toys". In fact, they should have just titled this "Halloween III, Part 2", instead of copying Silent Night Deadly Night 4's amazingly generic, spiralling title card.

Stupid Night, Dumb Night Thrived: The Crap Maker

[NoDakTatum · 1/10 · 7 October 2023]

Mickey Rooney plays a toy maker named Joe Petto (get it?) who lives with a young man named Pino (get it?). It seems Joe likes to give children anonymous gifts which, when opened, maims and kills them. It is always nice to see a film series come full circle, showing even more hatred for children- a little boy walks in on his parents having sex, retrieves a mysterious package, gets yelled and cursed at by his father, then watches as his father opens the mysterious package and is murdered. We must sit through ninety minutes of lame plot, resulting in a silly resolution that involves killer toys and giant Ken dolls. The "suspenseful" moments are not supposed to be this funny, including rocket roller blades on a kid who gets struck by a car, and a horny babysitter and boyfriend attacked by toy soldiers. Some of the cast from "Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation" appear, but not as their old characters- that might have been interesting. "Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker" is hopefully the finale to one lame horror franchise.

The Last in the Series

[Uriah43 · 4/10 · 2 January 2024]

This film begins with a young boy by the name of "Derek Quinn" (William Thorne) waking up to the sound of a doorbell and, upon going to check it out, finding a Christmas present with his name on it. Naturally, being somewhat excited about this, he immediately tries to open it up but is interrupted by his father who loudly admonishes him and tells him to go back to bed. Curious about what is inside, his father "Tom Quinn" (Van Quattro) then decides to open it up and finds a strange toy inside. Unfortunately, upon further investigation, the toy suddenly springs to life and kills him--while Derek looks on in complete shock from a distance. The scene then shifts to a couple of weeks later with Derek suffering from post-traumatic stress and unable to speak. Although the doctor tells his mother "Sarah Quinn" (Jane Higginson) that he will eventually recover, she still feels sorry for him and, to help cheer him up, takes him to a small toy shop not far from where they live. Not finding anything of interest, they eventually head back home. Not long afterward, the terror begins again. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this film started off well enough, but it went downhill at the end due to the overacting on the part of Brian Bremmer (as the teenage boy "Pino"). Be that as it may, while I don't consider this to be a good film by any means, it was still better than a couple of others in the series, and I have rated it accordingly.

Cheesy, effects-filled Christmas horror sequel

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 20 November 2016]

Obviously thinking (correctly) that the Silent Night, Deadly Night tag wouldn't mean much to British audiences, this fourth sequel was released simply as THE TOY MAKER. And it's a good job really, as it has no connection with the previous films (other than some returning actors) apart from the fact that there is a Christmas theme.

For much of this film, it's just another boring sequel. It's neither gory, nor funny enough to remain anything memorable and I'm sure that in a week's time I'll have completely forgotten what happened in it. Unfortunately for us, the main 'star' of the film is a little boy who seems to think that all that is required of an actor is for him to stand around with his mouth open. No expression, hardly any dialogue, this little kid is atrociously bad and doesn't even deserve to get any screen time whatsoever. I usually hate kid actors and this boy is one of the worst.

And, sadly enough, the adult actors and actresses aren't much better either, with one youngster supposed to be the hero of the film, he doesn't look like he could hurt a fly. The actress playing the mother is bland and shouts over the top a lot, and Mickey Rooney looks very old and upset about appearing in a film like this. And with Brian Yuzna co-writing, I thought it might have been at least partly good. I was wrong.

The concept of killer toys is nothing new (just watch any of Full Moon Entertainment's output) but there are a couple of laughs to be had along the way, the best death being the bit where a loving couple are shot, stabbed, and gunned by a squad of little army toys, leaving one girl literally covered in blood. There's a lot of the old claret on flow in this scene, but when a man is killed by a ball wrapped around his face like some imitation face hugger, then you can't help but sigh and look somewhere else. Screaming Mad George provided the special effects, but they're mostly not very special, apart from one standout scene where a black guy has a clockwork snake go inside his mouth and pull out his eyes from the inside, then emerge from one of the sockets. That's pretty good.

There is one good thing about this film, which startled me and made me sit up in my seat a little. It's the ending, which comes out of nowhere, when one character turns out to be a plastic android. The special effects are done very well here and I'm not sure how they got his head to look so plastic. When he gets cut in half and has his head smashed in, it's pretty funny too. It's like some full-grown, evil Pinocchio on the rampage. However for this one genuinely good moment there are a dozen lame scenes, including a boy on possessed roller-skates. Don't bother putting yourself through this unless you have a high tolerance level.

But this was more like a prequel to "Puppet Master"...

[paul_haakonsen · 3/10 · 23 December 2022]

Right, well I was honestly harboring zero expectations to this fifth installment in the "Silent Night, Deadly Night" movie franchise, especially since it has been a steady downhill ride since after the original 1984 movie. But still, I opted to sit down and watch "Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker", just to be able to say that I've sat through them all.

Writers Martin Kitrosser and Brian Yuzna took the franchise on another collision course with the script for this fifth movie. Again, the storyline and narrative deviates far from the original movie, and "Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker" feels more like a prequel to the "Puppet Master" movies.

The storyline in "Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker" was rubbish and it was a rather unwatchable movie actually, which made it quite an ordeal to sit through. There was nothing overly interesting going on throughout the 86 minutes of prolonged boredom that the movie ran for.

The acting performances in the movie were fair enough, when you take into consideration that the actors and actresses literally had next to nothing to work with. The only familiar face on the cast list was Clint Howard, whom I assumed was reprising his role as Ricky from the previous movie, though he was not in the movie for a very long time.

What made "Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker" bearable to sit through was the special effects.

This movie is not really worth the time or effort.

My rating of director Martin Kitrosser's 1991 movie lands on a generous three out of ten stars.

The most fun entry in the franchise since #2

[yourmotheratemydog715 · 7/10 · 26 December 2013]

After the horrible BETTER WATCH OUT! and INITIATION, to say I had no expectations for SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT 5: THE TOY MAKER is an understatement. But, surprisingly enough, the fifth entry of the Christmas-themed franchise is actually a good amount of fun.

It follows child Derek, who sees his father brutally murdered by a toy that mysteriously appeared on their front porch a few nights before Christmas. For some reason, the police do nothing about it, and Derek and his mother are left alone. But presents are still appearing on their porch, people are breaking into their house, and there's an ex-military man that follows them everywhere! What's going on? Does it have anything to do with the titular toy maker (played by Mickey Rooney!)? The film drags at times, and the acting isn't even bad enough to draw that many laughs. But where THE TOY MAKER shines is its inventive death scenes, which involve a bunch of killer toys. Obviously, PUPPET MASTER, DOLLS and the like have covered this territory before, but gruesome murder-set-pieces designed by Screaming Mad George keep this from being a complete waste of time. There's killer roller skates, army men and larvae, all of which are pretty damn fun.

The whole thing looks like a TV movie, a lot of it is dull as dirt and we've seen the same plot myriads of times before, but there are enough awesome moments here (including a head-scratching ending featuring robot dry-humping) to justify a recommendation for trash fanatics. At the very least, it's a better waste of your time than SNDN 3 and 4.

You don't need to watch this.

[I_Ailurophile · 2/10 · 23 December 2021]

Blunt, unsubtle, forthright, and over the top in its presentation - acting, directing, effects, music, each passing scene. Disjointed, confused, and haphazard in its writing - all but nonsensical, with even more tongue-in-cheek, unnecessary references to prior films than its predecessor. Despite the obvious "direct to video" air, as the film began I saw some potential. That feeling did not last: 'Silent night, deadly night 5: The toy maker' is not a good movie.

The inclusion of Mickey Rooney in the cast should be a boon, but his character is little more than a set piece, and he's not given much opportunity to illustrate the skill we know he has. The first two-thirds of the film seem like a distinctly kluged, disordered mess, and it's only in the last third that we get a scene of meaningfully cheeky, bloody, horror fun - or any genuine plot. Effects range from "questionable" to merely "suitable," and as much of a broadly unenjoyable hodgepodge as 'The toy maker, is, it's difficult to care about rounding details like makeup, props, or set decoration. The final scene is overly long, overstaying its welcome past The Reveal, and the climax is severely dulled as a consequence. I think there are a couple good ideas in the screenplay - but only a couple, and they are not nearly enough to save this from being a dubious wreck. I began watching with mixed but hopeful expectations, and golly was I disappointed.

It's still true that there are worse movies you could watch, including 'Silent night, deadly night 3' as a glaring example. But that's not saying much. Jane Higginson, in her performance as protagonist Sarah, comes closest to producing value for the picture, but she can't save it on her own. Sadly, unless one is committed to watching the entire SNDN series, there's just no compelling reason to check this out. I can hardly call it entertaining - rather, with the confluence of all its flaws and shortcomings, it's kind of boring more than anything else. Whatever it is about 'The toy maker' that caught your eye, this is simply not a feature you need to see.

Interesting premise and surprising final twist.

[HumanoidOfFlesh · 8/10 · 7 September 2014]

A young boy witness his father being murdered by a sadistic toy that was delivered to his house anonymously.The kid becomes genuinely scared and refuses to talk.Such glaring apathy worries his attractive mother.There seems to be something genuinely sinister about their local toy shop managed by legendary Mickey Rooney and his son Pino.I must say that I enjoyed watching "Silent Night,Deadly Night 5:The Toy Maker"(1991).The plot is intriguing and it features several well-thought plot twists.The toy sequence in which baby-sitter and her boyfriend are attacked by toys is pretty bloody and hysterical.The final scenes of Martin Kitrosser directional debut are positively bonkers.8 killer toys out of 10.

I loved this way more than I thought I would

[BandSAboutMovies · 6/10 · 25 December 2019]

Mickey Rooney famously decried the original Silent Night, Deadly Night. He said that the scum who made it should be run out of town for having sullied the sacredness of Christmas. Yet here he is, starring in the fifth installment. Hollywood is funny that way.

Neith Hunter, Clint Howard and Conan Yuzna - who played Kim, Ricky and Lonnie in Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation - make cameo appearances, but as far as I know, they aren't the same characters.

One night in December, Derek Quinn finds a gift on his porch. His father yells at him for being awake so late and opens the gift himself, which has an orb shaped like Santa inside it. Soon, it unleashes some tentacles which strangles dad and makes him fall down on a fireplace poker. His wife Sarah soon finds his body.

Two weeks later, Derek's mom takes him to the toy store of Joe Petto (Rooney) - get it, JOE PETTO - to pick out a toy. Petto's son Pino - yes, Pino Petto - is a weird duck who tries to get Derek to pick Larry the Larvae. Derek rejects the toys and Joe begins screaming at Pino, blaming him for the toy store failing. While all that's going on, Noah Adams has followed the family and taken that worm toy, which he gives to his landlord. Larry the Larvae crawls into that dude's mouth and out his eyeball, proving that this movie isn't screwing around when it comes to holiday gore.

The next day, Sarah takes Derek to see Santa, who ends up being Noah. There's also another gift on the porch and if someone didn't want a gift any more than this kid, I have no idea who that person is.

So that gift ends up being rocket skates and a kid ends up getting hospitalized by them. And oh yeah - Pino gets beaten into oblivion by his dad. And oh yeah part two - Noah is really Derek's real dad.

What follows next is a sequence where the babysitter and her boyfriend are accosted by a toy hand and then annihilated by an entire army of toys that basically dissects them. Joe steals Derek and Noah reveals that the old toymaker hurt a whole bunch of kids after his wife died by selling them toys that would hurt them.

As they get to the toy store, Noah is knocked out and Pino reveals that he is a robotic boy created by Joe to replace his dead son, but that he can never live up to being a real boy. Joe beats him to the point that he dies time and time again, but now he wants Sarah to be his mom, so he sexually assaults her. Yep. This movie is taking no prisoners.

The end of this movie is completely out of control. The robotic kid - who has an asexual body like a Ken doll - gets chopped in half and his head stomped on, as he cries for his father. You really have to see it to believe it.

Director Martin Kitrosser has had an interesting career, writing starting as a script supervisor on the first Friday the 13th before eventually writing the third and fifth films in that series. He also wrote Meatballs Part II and has gone on to be a script supervisor for nearly all of Quentin Tarantino's films, with his credit in Once Upon a Time...In Hollywood listing him as Martin "The Cobra" Kitrosser.

Brian Yuzna, who produced Re-Animator, was also on board for this. The effects, by Screaming Mad George, are incredible, with tons of gore and some really inventive deadly toys. Actually, this whole movie is way better than it has any right being, seeing as how it's the fifth movie in the series. To be honest, it's better than all

Those are some killer rollerblades, Lonnie

[drownsoda90 · 5/10 · 5 December 2017]

"Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toymaker" is the final contiguous entry of the "Silent Night, Deadly Night" series, and like Part 4, it takes yet another departure from the original storyline. This time, it's concerned with a young boy who witnesses the death of his father at the hands of a mysterious toy that appears on their doorstep during Christmastime; a local toyshop seems to be to blame.

Needless to say, the film is silly, and was quite obviously inspired by "Halloween III: Season of the Witch" and "Puppetmaster" in equal measure. As a direct-to-video feature, it has a similarly cheap look to it that the previous installments had, with fairly uninspired cinematography. There are some ridiculous and fun, hokey visuals, however, especially in regard to the killer toys, as well as the bonkers finale.

Narratively speaking, it's reasonably well-written and boasts a handful of clever plot turns that, though certainly unspectacular, generate a bit of interest. Another unusual aspect of the film is its inclusion of characters from the previous sequel, almost as though the intent were to sculpt a "Silent Night, Deadly Night" film universe, had any additional sequels panned out. It's a bit strange but does thread some continuity between it and Part 4 (which itself is absolutely insane for a handful of other reasons). The lead child actor, William Thorne, plays the traumatized Derek rather well, and Jane Higgison is likable as his mother. Neith Hunter, the lead from the former sequel, makes a welcome appearance as the mother's friend, as does Brian Yuzna's son as Lonnie (also carried over from the previous film), who receives a pair of rocket-powered rollerblades. Mickey Rooney also has a major part as the elderly wacky toyshop proprietor.

In the end, "Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toymaker" is every bit the bad movie that most expect it to be, but as far as bad movies go, it offers enough absurd special effects and amusing twists to make for a fun holiday viewing. Part 4 still outranks it in weirdness, but "The Toymaker" is no less utterly insane. Highlights include a drawn-out sex scene in which a macho man gets his rear-end penetrated by the fingers of an animated toy hand (and likes it) whilst having sex with the babysitter. 5/10.